Donning a red shirt — a symbol of his campaign — Shih showed up alone at the entrance to the controlled area for the ceremony, ready to be arrested, as Chen had vowed to catch any “Red Shirts” who came to protest.

But a last-minute invitation extended to him by Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng — head of the organizing committee for the event — allowed him access.

He was ushered in by agents of the National Security Bureau (NSB).

But he refused to put on a nametag, like all other guests did.

“If I had put on the nametag, my appearance here would have been meaningless,” Shih, a former chairman of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, said after the ceremony.

“I want to let President Chen know that as head of state, he shouldn’t be constantly staying on alert like the Myanmar junta,” said he said.

Shih led hundreds of thousands of Red Shirt protesters in a March in the neighborhood of the Presidential Office to demand Chen step down last year, while Chen was presiding over the National Day ceremony.

Chen had vowed to arrest any Red Shirts who tried to disrupt this year’s events.

Shih was seated next to Shi Hwei-you, head of the NSB, with NSB agents sitting behind him, in the VIP area.

Shih said he first became a guest in the VIP area during Chen’s inauguration on May 20, 2000. He said at that time he was full of joy and hope.

But seven years on, Shih said he was sitting in the VIP area for a second time, contemplating the complaints and ordeals of the people, and wondering what right political leaders had to be seated there.

Subscribe to The China Post and save.  Click hereSharePrintEmail

Write a Comment

Enter your comments - 800 characters max

Receive China Post promos

Respond to this email